Total Complaints
20 filings
BUICK LESABRE · model year
1986 BUICK LESABRE
20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986BUICKLESABRE carries 20 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1986 LESABRE is engine and engine cooling:engine with 3 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (3) and seat belts:front:buckle assembly (2). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1986 LESABRE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
20
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 3 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 3 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010907SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
THE MASTER CYLINDER KIT HAS FAILED ON 4 OCCASIONS WITHOUT WARNING, AS THE DRIVER STEPPED ON THE BRAKE IT DID NOT WORK, THE DRIVER HAD TO DEPRESS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK TO GET IT TO STOP. NLM
20010817CrashTIRES:TREAD/BELT
CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 70MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING LEFT REAR TIRE BLEWOUT, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE RAN INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON.VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE INJURED IN ACCIDENT, THE BRIDGESTONE/FIRESTONE TRIUMP I TIRES, TUWSRS, DOT NUMBER 00061298 ONLY HAD 1200 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT, CONSUMER HIT A VEHICLE HEAD ON AND THEN ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE SIDE, CONSUMER STATED THE TREAD SEPARATED. *SLC
20010723TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE TREAD SEPARATION. *AK
20010525SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
BUCKLE TO FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DOESN'T LATCH. SPRING IN BUCKLE IS BROKEN. PART IS COMMONLY USED IN ALL GMC VEHICLES. *AK
20010301VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVATING ON ITS OWN WHILE SWITCH IS IN OFF POSITION, CAUSING VEHICLE TO INCREASE IN SPEED UNEXPECTEDLY.
20010109ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
I HAD TAKEN MY USED CAR TO TODDS TOWING AT 3867 HIGHWAY 87 REIDSVILLE NC 27320 ON THE FOLLOWING DATES 11-20-2000, AGAIN THREE DAYS LATER 11-23-00 AND AGAIN ON 13-4-00. EACH TIME HE CLAIMED TO REPAIR THIS VEHICLE. I PAID 280.00, 218.00 AND $177.00. ALMOST $700.00 WITHIN A MONTHS TIME. FIVE DAYS AFTER THE LAST TIME. 12-4-00 I BROKE AGAIN. I HAD IT TOWED TO A DIFFERENT GARAGE, WHERE I WAS PROPTLEY INFORMED THAT THE MOTOR WAS SIEZING UP. I TRIED TO TALK TO TODDS TOWING ABOUT THIS AND WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE PREMISES. I DON'T FEEL THIS MAN "TODD" IS A LICENSED MACHANIC. AND IF INFACT HE IS THEN HE NEEDS TO BE EVALUATED. I BELIEVE HE SWINDLED ME OUT OF ALMOST $700.00 AND WOULD HAVE CONTINUED IF I HADN'T GONE ELSE WERE. I AM DEBATING IF I SHOULD/COULD TAKE HIM TO CIVIL COURT ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRICIATE THANK YOU , TAMARA SEGUIN. *AK
20000127ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. DEALER CONTACED AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK
19990623UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
19980324WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
NOTICE SOME WEAR AT THE MOUNTING HOLES RESULTING IN IMPERFECT CENTERING. BUICK REFUSES TO TELL ME IF THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM REPLACING THE LUG NUTS THAT CAM WITH THE RIMS WITH STANDARD CENTERING LUG NUTS. THE ORIGINAL LUG NUTS AND RIMS WERE MADE WITH LARGE FLAT AREAS AND RELYING ON THE DIAMETER OF THE LUG NUTS TO DO THE CENTERING.
19960628ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING GEAR FAILED.
19960628STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
'COLD POWER STEERING'. *DH
19960229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN DRIVING. TT
19960229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS WHEN DRIVING. TT
19960226SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
SEAT BELT BUCKLE WILL NOT LOCK IN PLACE. WHEN PUTTING THE LATCH IN IT, IT SLIPS RIGHT OUT. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY DON'T SELL THE PART ANYMORE. *AK
19960222STEERING:COLUMN
TILT STEERING COLUMN BOLTS WORK LOOSE OVER TIME. *DSH
19950726SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST
THE POWER MASTER BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED PRIOR TO/AFTER SERVICE RECALL (87C-013). *AK
19950726ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:HOSES/LINES/PIPING/FITTINGS
REPLACED THE RADIATOR HOSE DUE TO COOLANT LEAK. *AK
19950726VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WINDSHIELD WASHER MALFUNCTIONED. *AK
19950608POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
ORIGINAL/REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION FAILED. *SKD
19950314ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
HARMONIC BALANCER CAUSED ENGINE VIBRATION AND THE VEHICLE TO SURGE. TT
Compare 1986BUICKLESABRE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 BUICK LESABRE have?▼
The 1986 BUICK LESABRE has 20 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 BUICK LESABRE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 BUICK LESABRE is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE and SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1986 BUICK LESABRE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.